24,819 tests in 2025
Volvo V50 reliability and MOT pass rate
61% passed first time. The 39% fail rate is 16.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 16 years old with 132,401 miles.
Pass rate
61%
22.6% of all cars failed; 39% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
132,401 mi
16 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2,834 | 37.4% |
| 14+ years | 21,985 | 39.2% |
What the V50 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension969 dangerous52.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous35.5%
- Tyres3,038 dangerous26.9%
- Brakes1,059 dangerous25.9%
- Body, chassis, structure52 dangerous24.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks28 dangerous12.2%
- Visibility3 dangerous11.9%
- Steering71 dangerous11.3%
Is the V50 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.1 points to 39% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 36,764 | 13 | 36.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 33,777 | 14 | 38.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 27,219 | 15 | 39.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 24,812 | 16 | 39% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical V50 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a V50 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,665 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken1,638 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working1,206 tests
- 4Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,041 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,032 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn859 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm736 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements644 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical V50 collects 3.16 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm6,231 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3,238 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,914 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,429 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine2,311 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,026 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,768 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,534 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo V50 MOT pass rate?
61% of the 24,819 Volvo V50 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 39% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo V50 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 1,665 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, suspension appears in 52.5% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 35.5% of failures, tyres appears in 26.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 39.2%. The median Volvo V50 tested in 2025 was 16 years old with 132,401 miles.
Is the Volvo V50 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.1 points to 39% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every V50 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 24 safety recalls naming the Volvo V50: Volvo V50 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular V50?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.